


A Thousand Kisses Deep

by LauraEMoriarty



Series: His Glowing Hands [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe- Canon Divergence, F/M, Pre-Mass Effect 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 12:40:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11851767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauraEMoriarty/pseuds/LauraEMoriarty
Summary: They left the little cafe, and strolled arm in arm along the semi-empty pathway, the only other occupants the keepers, doing their maintenance, a quiet hum in the station that never fully slept.A one-shot from the night Rose met Kaidan.





	A Thousand Kisses Deep

_ The Citadel, 2177 _

 

The strobe lights flashed and moved, covering the dance floor in speckled light. Bodies pressed against bodies, the rhythm of the music a match for the dancers. The nightlife scene on this part of the Citadel was different to that in the lower wards-- the drinks were more expensive, the rarified atmosphere in the Silversun Casino’s upper floor reserved for the creme-de-la-creme of socialites. Rose pushed a strand of her long, red-gold hair out of her eyes, deciding that she had danced all she could dance. Her feet ached in the high heels she wore, and she glanced around for a place to sit. She pulled her heels off, and light-footed, she moved across the room to where there were a few vacant, comfortable chairs.

 

She’d just been promoted to Operations Chief. Ostensibly, she and Nellie were out celebrating this fact by seeing their father’s latest production-- some terribly obscure play by an equally obscure human playwright-- and then dancing the night away, but Rose had lost track of Nellie on the crowded, claustrophobic dancefloor. Her sister would more than likely be dancing with an asari-- that usually happened whenever they went out on the town. Flopping down into the plush, wingback chair, Rose rubbed her aching feet. She’d known, when she’d put the high heels on, that she would undoubtedly end up tearing them off her feet halfway through the night, but Nellie had bulldozed her into wearing them-- just like she bulldozed everything. Rose usually didn’t mind-- her sister, the bright and upcoming surgeon with the Alliance navy, usually had better ideas than her.

 

With the bright lights and heady beat of the bass, Rose closed her eyes briefly for a moment, as she rested her head against the back of the comfortable chair. She wished she was somewhere else-- clubbing really didn’t appeal to her, but Nellie, again, with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop, had insisted. She’d rather be at home on the couch, reading  _ Anne of Green Gables _ for the millionth time. Instead, Nellie had insisted they celebrate her promotion.

 

So Rose had donned a claret red dress, and black court shoes, pulled her long hair into an elegant bun, and done her makeup. Reluctantly allowing Nellie to set the pace, they had gone first to dinner with their father, and then to a play, and finally, they’d wound up at the casino.

 

“There you are! C’mon, Rosie,” Nellie suddenly stood in front of Rose, her voice sounding excited. “You  _ have _ to try the new cocktail this asari bartender made.”

 

It registered with Rose that her sister had two drinks, one in each hand. Reluctantly, she took the glass from Nellie’s hand, and sipped. The smoky whisky, mixed with rich chocolate and blended with orange blossom syrup tasted like heaven in a glass.

 

“Mmmm,” she sighed. “Sweet, with a kick of a mule, like you. Just what I needed.”

 

Nellie laughed. “Thought it might be. C’mon, let’s go to one of the lower wards. This place is getting hella boring.”

 

Without waiting, Nellie turned and vanished into the crowd, leaving Rose behind. Sighing, Rose put down her unfinished drink, slipped her feet into her heels, and hastened after her sister. 

 

_ Bloody hell, Nellie… _ Rose thought, as she walked at a fast clip through the casino and out into the crowded Sunset Strip.  Hobbled by her high heels, Rose paused to pull them off again, and strode over to the nearest vending machine where she bought a cheap pair of flats. Donating the other shoes in the donation receptacle next to the vending machine, she slid her feet into the infinitely more comfortable flat shoes. She paused long enough to buy some greasy cheese pizza, and bit into it, savouring every moment of it as she walked through the strip to the elevator. Pushing the button to take her to the part of the Citadel that she knew Nellie had headed to, she waited as the car descended down two levels, opened to admit a volus, an elcor, and a quarian, and two passengers disembarked.

 

Another level down, and she exited the car, pulling up her omnitool’s messenger.

 

_ Where are you? _

 

_ Purgatory, where else? _

  
  


_ Typical,  _ Rose thought, as she hobbled to the apparently endless line into the club. Her feet were sore, and she could feel the beginnings of blisters on her toes. Finally, the club line reached her, and with a wave, she smiled at the bouncer and entered Purgatory. The evening had been going so well until Nellie had decided to drag them both clubbing. She shook her head minutely, as she passed into the main dance floor of Purgatory.

 

Then, she saw  _ him _ . Dancing awkwardly with a turian on one side, a salarian on the other, and an asari behind him. She couldn’t see Nellie, and right now, she didn’t care. He carried himself like a marine, his ramrod straight spine marking him as Alliance. From her vantage point, he seemed a few years older, but she couldn’t really tell.

 

“There you are!” Nellie appeared from nowhere and suddenly stood next to her. “Was wondering when you’d get here.” Her eyes were bright, and her skin flushed in the strobe lighting.

 

“You kinda stranded me, y’know,” Rose said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “I don’t enjoy it when the person who convinced me--  _ dragged me out bodily _ \-- I might add, does a disappearing act on me.”

 

“You weren’t exactly helpless, y’know,” Nellie mocked her, a playful tone in her voice. “You  _ do _ have biotics, after all.”

 

“So do you,” Rose pointed out, resisting the urge to poke her tongue out at her sister. “But it’s the whole principle of the thing, Nell.”

 

“Still-- big bad sister with N-School coming up? You could beat up anyone if they even looked at you the wrong way.” Nellie refuted.

 

Rose quirked an eyebrow. “And how do you know about N-School, let alone the fact I’m still thinking about it?”

 

Nellie shrugged. “Mama. It  _ does _ help that she’s the PA to SECNAV, y’know.”

 

Rose rolled her eyes, and stood to the side as an asari dressed in white glided past them, bearing a tray of drinks. She watched as Nellie looked on, and mentally sighed. Turning away, Nellie made a beeline for the bar, intent on ordering some horrid drink designed to get her as drunk as possible, Rose assumed.

 

Muttering to her sister to suit herself, Rose moved in the direction of the dance floor. The attractive man, still dancing with (or dancing beside) the entire makeup of council races glanced her way, and Rose’s breath caught in her throat as their eyes met. Her soul cried out that this man was hers, and that her life would be incomplete without him. She held his gaze for a long moment, and then they moved as though one body, drawn to the other.

 

A passing asari waitress jostled Rose’s elbow, sending her careening directly into the man’s arms. She blushed as red as her namesake, her arms falling heavily onto his shoulders.

 

“Um, sorry,” Rose blurted, mortification setting in as the man released her from his grasp, and held her at arm’s length.

 

“Not your fault-- it was, if anyone’s to blame, the waitress is,” He gave her a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes, and Rose found herself smiling back at him.

 

“Still, terribly clumsy of me,” Rose said, glancing around her to see if she could see Nellie in the crowd. “I don't normally do this.”

 

“What part of  _ this _ do you mean?” The man asked, amusement dancing in his whisky coloured eyes. “The bumping into people thing, or the clubbing thing?”

 

“Uh, both. My sister has a bad habit of dragging me into her harebrained schemes, and usually they end in me winding up in A&E with her being terribly apologetic and contrite.” Rose babbled, not sure why she told a relative stranger about what happened almost every single time she went on shore leave with her sister.

 

“I can imagine that wouldn't be too good,” he agreed, nodding sagely.

 

“At least it’s not one of my father’s afterparties-- lots of drunk actors who think you’re just some groupie, and they’re the hottest new talent when clearly they’re not,” Rose sighed. “I can tell you a few stories about it, but you're probably going to run a mile when you realise who I'm talking about…”

 

“Uh, okay, I’ll leave you alone,” the man said, turning to leave her.

 

_ Shit. Wait, don’t go! Well done, Rose. Daughter of Francis Kitt, and you can’t even word--or flirt-- properly. _

 

She quickly ran after him, grabbing at his elbow. “Sorry-- that came across totally and completely the wrong way. Thing is, I’d love some company.”

 

He looked at her, taken aback slightly by the unexpected awkwardness of the woman who just moments earlier was so eloquent. “Oh, uh, right. Usually I’m the awkward one.”

 

“I’m so sorry I careened into you like that,” Rose said again, feeling the urge to throttle Nellie rising with every passing second. “Um, I’m Rose, by the way.” 

 

He smiled once more, causing Rose’s stomach to do weird little flip-flops. “Well Rose, I’m Kaidan. It’s lovely to meet you.”

 

Rose smiled back at him. “I don't know about you, but I detest clubbing-- I’m only here under sufferance, and I could kill my sister right now.”

 

“You too?” Kaidan said, indicating to a dark haired woman that seemed to be dancing with an equally inebriated salarian. “Fiona insisted I needed to get out of the barracks and that a night out would be good for me.”

 

“You're the victim of an overzealous sister then?” Rose commiserated, an amused smile tugging at her lips.

 

“Something like that, yeah,” Kaidan said. “I have a few of them.”

 

“I’m thinking of starting an exclusive club called  _ sisters suck cause they desert you _ ,” Rose said. “Just us-- very exclusive.” She winked, and Kaidan chuckled.

 

“Sounds good. Are there dues involved?”

 

Rose tilted her head to the side, pretending to consider his question. “Only if your sister has a habit of informing the entire Silversun Strip that our father is a…” Rose paused, trying to remember the latest scathing comment Nellie had made about their father. “A two-bit hack with no real understanding of the intricacies of  _ The Taming of the Shrew _ .”

 

Kaidan laughed. “She sounds delightful,” he said dryly. 

 

“She can be. I mean, she acts all flighty and stuff, but she’s training to be an Alliance surgeon,” Rose said. “I swear, she drives me nuts half the time. But, enough about wayward sisters, what brings you to the Citadel?”

 

“Not much. Just on shore leave for a few days, thought I’d see the Citadel, be a tourist,” Kaidan replied. “I think my sister won’t mind if I sneak out of here.”

 

“Mine won’t even notice-- she’s the redhead dirty dancing with that asari over there,” Rose pointed to where Nellie and an asari looked as though they were trying to repopulate a small colony. 

 

Kaidan chuckled, the sound warm and rich.

 

Together, they made their way out of the club, talking and laughing as though they had known each other for years. They found an all-night cafe, a tiny hole-in-the-wall called The Rattling Bog, a cafe that had bookshelves and old library tables and cabinets as decor. The low lighting and soft old leather couches, the smell of old books and coffee, the rich smell of beeswax leather polish, and it smelled to Rose like heaven. 

 

“Just Turkish Apple tea, thanks Sophia,” Rose said, smiling at the redheaded woman that came to take their order. “What’re you having?”

 

Kaidan smiled. “Rooibos, if you’ve got it, thanks.”

 

“I ‘ave eet,” Sophia said, her French accent soft, but still clear in the inflection of her words. “I will be back with ze tea in a moment.”

 

“Come here often, do you?” Kaidan said, a smile lighting up his face.

 

“It’s my favourite cafe on the Citadel,” Rose replied, smiling back at him. “I discovered it when I was sixteen, and Francis brought us here for a snack.”

 

“Who’s Francis?” Kaidan asked, intrigued.

 

“My father-- the in his mind  _ legendary _ Francis Kitt. In case you can’t tell, I don’t have too high an opinion of him,” Rose said.

 

“Wait, your father’s  _ Francis Kitt _ ?” Kaidan said, slight amazement in his voice. “That explains what you meant earlier.”

 

Rose nodded, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, but that’s enough about me here. How many times have you visited the Citadel?”

 

“Uh, not many. This is probably my third time here. It’s easy to get lost,” Kaidan said, as Sophia returned to their table with two steaming pots of tea and two tea cups.

 

“‘Ere you are,” she said, Kaidan and Rose leaning back as Sophia put the cups and teapots down, and bustled out of the way.

 

“You have to come here one day with me, I’ll show you all the good spots here,” Rose said, picking up her teapot with one hand and pouring the sweet-smelling tea into her cup.

 

“I’d like that,” Kaidan said, a shy smile forming on his face.

 

“Then we’ll do it, maybe next time I’m on shore leave-- if it matches with yours. What branch of the Alliance are you with?” Rose asked, leaning forwards to catch the scent of her tea.

 

“Marines, actually. You?” Kaidan sipped his rooibos tea, as Rose picked up her own cup.

 

“Same. I just got promoted to Operations Chief, which is the whole reason Nell insisted we go out to celebrate,” Rose said, taking a sip of her tea. The slightly sweet, tartness of the apple tea tasted perfect-- tea could cure any form of drunkenness, as far as she was concerned.

 

“Congratulations,” Kaidan said. ”That’s great.”

 

They sat there in comfortable silence for a moment or two, and Kaidan reached for her hand. Rose smiled, and their fingers linked, quietly enjoying the other’s company.

 

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Kaidan asked, as Sophia came to clear away their empty cups.

 

“I’d love that,” Rose said, as she handed Sophia her credit chit to pay for their tea. Sophia waved it away.

 

“I’ll put it on your father’s tab, ‘e won’t notice,” she winked. “His accountant pays me very well…”

 

Rose smiled. “Thanks for that, Sophia,” she said. 

 

They left the little cafe, and strolled arm in arm along the semi-empty pathway, the only other occupants the keepers, doing their maintenance, a quiet hum in the station that never fully slept. In comfortable silence, they walked arm in arm, enjoying the moments that stretched before them, neither of them wanting to spoil it, and feeling like they had known one another their entire lives.

 

Kaidan paused to take a rose from a bush and tucked it behind Rose’s ear, his thumb brushing her cheek. “A rose for a Rose,” he said, and drew her to him, his hand cupping her face gently.

 

“I feel like I’ve known you all my life,” Rose said, a smile on her face. His hand was so very welcome on her cheek, and she reached up to loop her arms around his neck.

 

“I feel the same way,” Kaidan said. 

 

In those few moments, time and space stretched out forever before them, and all the myriad possibilities that had led them to find one another. Kaidan drew her closer to him, and very gently, brushed his lips over hers. Their connection was impossible to deny-- the hunger as they kissed, as though they were both clinging to salvation, and the fire that ignited between them unquenchable and unchecked. He held her close, and Rose never wanted to leave that embrace, but sooner or later, they had to come up for air.

 

Rose’s omnitool pinged, but she ignored it, knowing it would probably be Nellie, demanding to know where she’d gone.

 

Kaidan broke the kiss, but didn’t release her. “Should you get that?” he asked, and Rose shook her head.

 

“It’ll be Nellie wanting to know where I’ve gone,” she said, and smiled.

 

“Uh,” Kaidan began, his hands sliding through her hair as Rose leaned against him.

 

“Yes?”

 

“We could get a hotel room,” Kaidan said, almost shy again as Rose traced idle patterns on his back with her fingers.

 

“I’d like that,” Rose said.

  
  


_ A man had given all other bliss _

_ And all his worldly worth for this _

 

_ To waste his whole heart in one kiss _

_ Upon those perfect lips _

 

_ \-- Lancelot and Guinevere,  _ Alfred Tennyson

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Lena, for the help you gave me. <3


End file.
